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A Few Related Terms

Merger
LBO
Joint Venture
Partnership

Acquisition
Term category: General Business
In 10 words or less: An acquisition occurs when one company purchases another

Definition: An acquisition is when one larger company purchases a smaller company. Not to be confused with a "merger", which is when two approximately equal-sized companies merge to combine forces.

StockJargon Advice: Usually, the company that is being acquired typically sees its stock price appreciate right after the news is announced. The company doing the buying usually sees its stock price fall.

Sometimes mergers and acquisitions can turn ugly. Watch out for your companies if this happens, because sometimes the stock prices can drop significantly on the news.

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Mergers & Acquisitions Report
The latest information on M&A, distressed situations, and other corporate restructurings.

Yahoo! Finance M&A Calendar
A calendar of recent M&A activity

The Basics of Mergers and Acquisitions
Investopedia has put together this great page of information that will help you better understand mergers and acquisitions.

Related Books

The Complete Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions by Timothy Galpin
The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing by Pat Dorsey
Investing for Dummies by Eric Tyson
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator By Edwin Lefevre

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